Bearing.



PATENTED JUNE 2, 1903.

BEARING.

APPLIGATION FILED JUNE 1'1, 1901.

NO MODEL.

july. I

Ihr/2.71%?" HWI/[lam l v pering tread-surfaces 2 and 3.

pof the taper or cone-section type.

Patented une Y2, 1903.

WILLIAM HAMILTON WRIGHT, OF BUFFALO, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO MARY E.WRIGHT, OF BUFFALO, NEW YORK.

.SPECIFICATION foaming part of Letters Application filed-.Tune 17,1901.

.Beit known that' I, WILLIAM HAMILTON .WRIGHT, a-citizen of thev UnitedStates, re siding atBu'ffalo,NewYork,l have invented' certain new andusefulImprovements in Bearings, of which the following is a'full,clear,-A and exact description y Y My invention relates to bearings, andparticularly to those employing contact-surfaces My invention has forits main objects,- first, the substantial elimination of all slidingfriction or end thrust; second, the elimination of all cages orseparating devices, and, third, to

provide an improved taper roller self-con-` tained. In connection withthese main objects my invention also provides means tofacilitate thesetting up of thebearingfforlocking the bearing in adjustmentiand forex, eluding dust and retaining lubricant.

The above mentioned principal' objects combine to eliminate inthelargest possibleV degree frictional contact within thebearing.v Inseeking to obtain theselconditions I 'have discovered by my experimentsthat their sub stantial attainment can be reached by means of placingcertain parts of my bearing at par-N ticular angular relations,` allofwhich I fully explain and disclose in my specification.

Figure l is a longitudinal section'off'my invention. Fig. 2 is an endelevation, righthand end of Fig. l, the internal parts being removed toshow the taper rollers in position Fig. 3 is a detail face view of thewasher 2l.

This is a typical use of my invention, and its adaptation to other formsof bearings--V such, for example, as ordinary shaft-bearings,car-journals, bicycles, and the'like-involves the exercise of onlyordinary mechanical skill.

lis a shaft. Uponv this shaft are smooth ta- These smooth taperingtread-surfaces are'so inclined to the axis of the shaft 'as -to form anangle of repose, as hereinafter more fully explained, and so as toconstitute the inner treads of the bearing. In the drawings herewith theta# pering inner tread 2 is integral with the'shaft 1, and the taperinginner tread 3 is adjustable thereon longitudinally; but it will beevident that in `other constructions bothta- ING Patent N. 729,987,dated June 2, l1903. serai No. 64,800. (No model.) Y v pering innertreads may be made ,separate Vfrom the shaft and one or desired.

4 4 are smooth tapering treads` provided with roller-surfaces inclinedto the axis of the shaft, so as to form an angle often-repose, as hereinafter more fully described, and so as to constitute the outer treads ofthe bearing. These outer treads have their inner ends united by means ofa sleeve 5 andhave their outer ends turned to cylindrical form andinternally threaded to receive the parts hereinafter described.

-6 6 are ungrooved taper or cone-section rollers which occupy the spacebetween the inner treads and the outer treads.

,--I will now describe the peculiar construction of the inner treads andthe outer treads and the taper rollers and their relation to each other.The-taper or slant of the taper rollers and the'taper or slant of theinner treads and the outer treads are such that if their surfaces werelcontinued to form perfect cones ytheir vertices would coincide in theaxis of the shaft or axle. The rollers 6 are made to fit the inner andouter treads of the rollerrace by this construction, so that each rolleris -in continuous line of contact with the inner and outer tread of itsrace, and it has both adjustable, as

therefore a free-rolling tread over its entirel "that is to say, theraces are filled with the rollers, except that sucient space is leftbetween them to prevent their binding or engaging in frictional contactwhen they are carrying the loadv or pressure exerted upon the bearing.They are free to rotate on their own axes and to travel in the race.'The full series is clearly shown in Fig. 2.

I will now describe thepeculiar and essen'- tial features of myinvention which distinguish it from previous bearings of this class.

I have found that in rolling contact s urfaces or treads of this kindthere is a certain angle beyond which the taper roller tends to Ico Theangle at or beyond which the taper roller l,

tends to be forced out axially I term a nonreposing angle, and the angleat or below which the taper roller tends to feed in or bind I term areposing angle. For example, the angle which the outer tread forms withthe shaft is a non-reposing angle and the angle which the inner treadforms with the shaft is a reposing angle. If now a reposing angle(wherein the tendency of the taper roller is to feed in and bind) isemployed for the inner tread and a non-reposing angle (wherein thetendency of the taper roller is to be forced out) is employed for 'theouter tread, it is evident that such relation of angles may be had thatthe one tendency is exactly counterbalanced by the other tendency. Withthis fact in hand I have found what these angles are, and consequentlyam able to disclose as my discovery a substantially fixed rule orformula for the angles of the parts of a roller-bearing of this class.

The general rule is as follows: The surface of the inner tread shouldform with the axis of the shaft an angle of substantially fourteendegrees. The surface of the outer tread should form with the axis of theshaft an angle of substantially eighteen and one-half degrees, andconsequently the interposed taper rollers in order to be full series andfull tread must be tapered at substantially four and one-halfdegrees.Whilesomedeparturefroin these angles may be had and while some variationtherefrom may be advisable due to the metal employed or the speed inrotation, I recommend these specific angles, since they constitute anonreposing angle for the outer tread and a reposing angle for the innertread and the necessary angle for the taper rollers to constitute acounterbalance or counterpoise where the tendency to thrust in the onedirection is exactly overcome by the tendency to bind in the other. Theangles which I have designated above constitute a counterpoise when thebearing is made of steel and run at ordinary speeds attained byvehicles, line-shafting, and the like.

For facility in setting up the bearing I provide the taper rollers 6with pins 7 upon their inner ends. Vit-hin the outer tread 4 andthreaded to the cylindrical portion thereof is a retaining-ring 8, whichis ilanged,ras shown at 9, to an angle corresponding to the outer tread.This flange sets the ring 8 definitely when screwed to place. The ring Shas an annular trough of sufficient depth and width to form a racewayfor the pins 7. When the inner tread is removed, the taper rollers 6Will hang by the pins 7 in the trough of the ring 3, and thus thedifficulty of setting up a horizontal bea-ring of this kind is avoided.The

pins 7 and the raceway in which they travel, above described, perform noother function than that of keeping the taper rollers (i in place whilemounting and dismounting the bearing.

In order to prevent the taper rollers from jolting out when free fromload, I provide retaining-rings 10, which take over the outer ends ofthe rollers G. The rings 10 are screwthreaded to the cylinder extensionsof the outer treads and are provided with flanges 1l, which engage withthe outer tread the same as the fianges 9 and for the same purpose. Itshould be noted that both the retaining-rings 3 and 10 must stand freeof the rollers 6 when the rollers are doing Work, and they in no senseoperate as a cage or race to hold the rollers in position as against endthrust.

In order to adjust the bearings, I provide the adjustable inner tread 3with a key l2, which prevents its rotation on the shaft 1. The outerportion of the inner tread 3 is threaded internally to receive athreadedring 13. W'hen the tread 3 is adjusted to place, the key l2 is insertedand the ring 13 is screwed to place against a shoulder on the shaft 1.This prevents the tread 3 from being forced farther inwardly andtightening the bearing. A nut 14 and a washer 15 and a locknut 16 arethen set up against the end of the tread 3,'and it is securely locked.The hub is capped by a cap 17 to exclude dust and to hold the lubricant.A set-screw 18 is provided, by the removal of which the bearing may becharged with lubricant.

To retain the lubricant and exclude the dust from this kind of abearing, I provide an external washer 19 with an inwardly-projectingportion, which is screw-threaded into the cylinder portion of the outertread. Upon the inner surface of this inwardly-projecting portion is cutan annular groove, as indicated at 20, to receive a metallic washer 2l,which is slotted across its face, as clearly shown in Fig. 3, so that itmay be compressed and sprung in place in the annular groove 20. Thisleaves an annularareabetween the screwthreaded portion ot' the Washer1f) and the washer 2l, and in this space I place a lubricant-retainingand dust-excluding Washer,of any desired material, as indicated at 22.In order that this Washer may fit closely down upon the shaft 1, Ipreferably clasp about it a broken ring 23, of any suitable springinaterial, which will tend to press the washer 22 down upon the shaft.

I-Iaving thus described my invention and its inode of operation and itsadaptation to different uses and Without limiting myself to theparticular construction herein shown, What I claim is- 1. A taper rollerbearing comprising a smooth, tapering inner tread provided with aroller-surface inclined to the axis of the shaft so as to form an angleof repose, a smooth, tapering outer tread provided with a roller-surfaceinclined to the axis of the shaft so as to form an angle of non-repose,the inner and outer treads providing a free race between them, and afull series of ungrooved, taper rollers fitted in the free race, heldtherein from endwise movement by the location of the treads withrelation to each other, and having their ends out of contact with anypart ICO sovas to be entirely free thereof, substantially as and for thepurposes set forth.

2. A taper-roller bearing comprising a pair of smooth, tapering innertreads each provided with a roller-surface inclined to the axis of theshaft so as to forman angle of repose, a pair of smooth, .tapering outertreads each provided with a roller-surface inclined to the axis of theshaft so as to form an angie of non-repose, the inner and outer treadsproviding free races between them, and full series of ungrooved, taperrollers tted within the free races, held therein from endwise movementby the location of the treads with relation to each other, and havingtheir ends out of contact with any part so as to be entirely freethereof when carrying the load, substantially as and for the purposesset forth.

3. A taper-roller bearing comprising a pair of smooth tapering innertreads each provided with a roller-surface inclined to the axis of theshaft so as to form an angle ofrepose, and adjustable with relation toeach other as to distance apart, a pair of smooth, tapering outertreads, each provided with a roller-surface inclined to the axis of theshaft so as to form an angle of non-repose, the inner and outer treadsproviding free races between them, and full series of ungrooved taperrollers iitted in the free races, held from endwise movement .by thelocation of the treads with relation to each other, and having theirends out of contact with any part so as to be entirely free thereof whencarrying the load, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

4. In ataper-roller bearing, in combination with smooth tapering innertreads provided with roller-surfaces inclined to the axis of the shaftso as to form angles of repose, and smooth tapering outer treadsprovided with a roller-surface inclined to the axis of the shaft to formangles of non-repose, and full series of ungrooved taper rollers; meansfor taking down and setting up the bearing, com-l prising pins on theinner ends'of said taperv rollers, sleeves threaded to the inner ends ofthe outer treads and provided with annular grooves to receive the y pinson the ends of are free to travel, so that when the shaft and innertreads are removed the taper rollers will be held substantially in placeso that the shaft and the inner treads may be" replaced as and for thepurposes set forth.

5. In a taper-roller bearing, in combination with smooth tapering innertreads provided with roller-surfaces inclined to the axis of the shaftso'as to form angles of repose, and smooth tapering outer treadsprovided with a roller-surface inclined to the axis of the shaft to formangles of non-repose, and full series of ungrooved taper rollers,meansfor adjusting the said bearing, comprising a threaded ring threadedto the inner surface `of one of the inner treads and bearing against ashoulder on the shaft to hold the said inner tread against furthermovement toward the opposite inner tread, a nut threaded to the shaftsetting against the outer end of said inner tread, and a washer andcheck-nut for holding the same againstturning, substani tially as andfor the purposes set forth.

6. In a taper-roller bearing, in combination with smoothtapering innertreads provided with roller-surfaces inclined to the axis of the shaftso as to form angles of repose, and smooth tapering outer treadsprovided with a roller-surface inclined to the axis of the shaft to formangles of non-repose, and full series of ungrooved taper rollers, meansfor retaining the lubricant in said bearing and for excluding the dust,comprising a washer screw* threaded to one of said outer treads, andinin the county of Erie and State of New York.v

WILLIAM HAMILTON WRIGHT.

Witnesses:

M. E. SNYDER, A. W. PLUMLEY.

